Zinc-coated steel having reduced susceptibility for liquid metal embrittlement (lme)

Abstract

A method of manufacturing zinc-coated steel having a reduced susceptibility to liquid metal embrittlement (LME) according to various aspects of the present disclosure includes providing a steel substrate including iron, carbon in amount ranging from about 0.01-0.45 weight percent, chromium in an amount ranging from about 0.5-5 weight percent, and silicon in an amount ranging from about 0.5-2.5 weight percent. The method includes forming an oxide-containing layer on a surface of the steel substrate by annealing the steel substrate in an oxygen-containing atmosphere. The method further coating a zinc layer on the oxide-containing layer by a spray coating process. In certain aspects, the present disclosure also provides a method of forming an assembly having a reduced susceptibility to LME via resistance spot welding. The present disclosure also provides, in various aspects, a zinc-coated steel component including a steel substrate, an oxide-containing layer, and a zinc layer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing zinc-coated steel having a reduced susceptibility to liquid metal embrittlement (LME), the method comprising:
 providing a steel substrate comprising iron, carbon in amount ranging from about 0.01-0.45 weight percent, chromium in an amount ranging from about 0.5-5 weight percent, and silicon in an amount ranging from about 0.5-2.5 weight percent;   forming an oxide-containing layer on a surface of the steel substrate by annealing the steel substrate in an oxygen-containing atmosphere; and   coating a zinc layer on the oxide-containing layer by a spray coating process.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the forming the oxide-containing layer includes annealing the steel substrate at a dew point control of less than about 10° C. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the oxygen-containing atmosphere includes the oxygen at less than 10 volume percent and the oxygen-containing atmosphere further includes nitrogen, hydrogen, or both nitrogen and hydrogen. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the forming the oxide-containing layer includes annealing the steel substrate at a temperature in a range of about 500-950° C. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the forming the oxide-containing layer includes annealing the steel substrate for a duration of about 1-10,000 seconds. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the duration is about 60-600 seconds. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the spray coating process includes electric galvanizing, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, jet vapor deposition, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the spray coating process includes jet vapor deposition. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the forming the oxide-containing layer includes forming a first oxide-containing layer on a first surface of the steel substrate and forming a second oxide-containing layer on a second surface of the steel substrate opposite the first surface, and   the coating the zinc layer includes coating a first zinc layer on the first oxide-containing layer and coating a second zinc layer on the second oxide-containing layer.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the oxide-containing layer defines a thickness in a range of about 0.01-5 μm. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the oxide-containing layer has a porosity of less than or equal to about 10%. 
     
     
         12 . A method of creating a zinc-coated-steel assembly having reduced LME, the method comprising:
 providing a first zinc-coated steel component including a first steel substrate, a first oxide-containing layer on a surface of the steel substrate, and a first zinc layer on a surface of the oxide-containing layer, the first steel substrate comprising iron, carbon in amount ranging from about 0.01-0.45 weight percent, chromium in an amount ranging from about 0.5-5 weight percent, silicon in an amount ranging from about 0.5-2.5 weight percent;   providing a second zinc-coated steel component including a second steel substrate, a second oxide-containing layer on a surface of the steel substrate, and a second zinc layer on a surface of the oxide-containing layer, the second steel substrate comprising iron, carbon in amount ranging from about 0.01-0.45 weight percent, chromium in an amount ranging from about 0.5-5 weight percent, silicon in an amount ranging from about 0.5-2.5 weight percent;   arranging the first zinc-coated steel component and the second zinc-coated steel component so that the first zinc layer is in contact with the second zinc layer; and   forming the assembly by resistance spot welding the first zinc-coated steel component to the second zinc-coated steel component.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 prior to the forming, stamping the first zinc-coated steel component and stamping the second zinc-coated steel component.   
     
     
         14 . A zinc-coated steel component comprising:
 a steel substrate comprising iron, carbon in amount ranging from about 0.01-0.45 weight percent, chromium in an amount ranging from about 0.5-5 weight percent, and silicon in an amount ranging from about 0.5-2.5 weight percent;   an oxide-containing layer on a surface of the steel substrate; and   a zinc layer on the oxide-containing layer.   
     
     
         15 . The zinc-coated steel component of  claim 14 , wherein the oxide-containing layer has a porosity of less than or equal to about 10%. 
     
     
         16 . The zinc-coated steel component of  claim 14 , wherein the oxide-containing layer defines a thickness in a range of about 0.01-5 μm. 
     
     
         17 . The zinc-coated steel component of  claim 16 , wherein the thickness is in a range of about 0.1-1 μm. 
     
     
         18 . The zinc-coated steel component of  claim 14 , wherein the oxide-containing layer comprises iron, oxygen, chromium, and silicon. 
     
     
         19 . The zinc-coated steel component of  claim 18 , wherein
 the chromium is present in an amount ranging from about 0.1-50 weight percent, and   the silicon is present in an amount ranging from about 0.1-30 weight percent.   
     
     
         20 . The zinc-coated steel component of  claim 14 , wherein
 the oxide-containing layer includes a first oxide-containing layer on a first surface of the steel substrate and a second oxide-containing layer on a second surface of the steel substrate opposite the first surface, and   the zinc layer includes a first zinc layer on the first oxide-containing layer and a second zinc layer on the second oxide-containing layer.